China’s national team once again failed to qualify for the World Cup football, having reached the tournament only once, in 2002. Yet Chinese companies occupy some of FIFA’s most prominent commercial positions, with Lenovo serving as a top-tier FIFA partner. Inside a sprawling broadcast hub in Dallas, thousands of devices supplied by Lenovo are helping FIFA manage and distribute content from stadiums across the United States, Canada and Mexico, forming part of the technological backbone of the largest World Cup ever staged. Electronics maker Hisense is also a World Cup sponsor and technology provider, and dairy firm Mengniu is maintaining a long-term relationship with the event.
The central role played by Lenovo highlights a reality often obscured by geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing: while U.S. policymakers have increasingly scrutinized Chinese technology firms and sought to reduce security risks in strategically sensitive sectors, Chinese companies remain deeply embedded in global commercial ecosystems, including one of the highest-profile international events ever hosted in North America. The stakes are enormous. FIFA is expected to generate between USD2.5 billion and USD3 billion in sponsorship revenue from the 2026 World Cup, making it one of the most commercially valuable sporting events ever staged and a coveted platform for companies seeking global visibility. “It’s the coming out party for Chinese global brands,” said Craig Allen, former U.S. Ambassador and Senior Fellow at the Asia Society.
The visibility of Chinese companies at a championship hosted across North America underscores the complex relationship between geopolitical competition and commercial integration. While Washington and Beijing remain locked in disputes over trade, technology and national security, global sporting events continue to offer Chinese brands unmatched worldwide exposure. “The World Cup is a global event with billions of fans from around the world watching,” said Scott Kennedy, Senior Adviser in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). “What this shows is that Chinese consumer-facing firms are pursuing a global strategy for fans around the world, an effort which continues regardless of any government-level tensions.”
The companies’ prominence at the tournament also reflects the selective nature of Washington’s scrutiny of Chinese firms. Neither Lenovo nor Hisense was included on the Pentagon’s updated Section 1260H list released last week, which added companies including Alibaba, Baidu and BYD. “If people come away from the FIFA World Cup only knowing that Lenovo sponsored the tournament, not what we have delivered from a technology and innovation standpoint, then we have failed,” said Jeff Shafer, Lenovo’s Chief Communications Officer. The company says its technology is powering FIFA’s Intelligent Command Center, a real-time operational hub designed to support tournament management before, during and after matches. Lenovo is also supplying AI-powered analytics tools for all 48 participating teams, fan-facing applications as well as digital player models intended to assist match officials with offside decisions.
Lenovo is not the only Chinese company playing a key role at the tournament. Hisense, a World Cup sponsor, has spent years associating itself with major football competitions and is providing technology linked to video review systems and other match operations. Mengniu, meanwhile, has maintained one of the longest-running relationships between a Chinese company and FIFA, although its sponsorship is almost exclusively aimed at Chinese and Southeast Asian customers since there are strict U.S. import restrictions on dairy products. Over the past decade, Beijing’s push to transform China into a football powerhouse triggered billions of dollars in investment in clubs, academies and infrastructure. Chinese conglomerates bought stakes in European clubs, sponsored tournaments and sought a greater role in global football.
Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sport and Geopolitical Economy at Skema Business School, argues that Chinese policy documents describe an ambition for the country to become a “leading FIFA nation” by 2050, a goal that could be achieved through a variety of channels, including hosting tournaments, influencing football governance and becoming more deeply embedded in the sport’s commercial ecosystem. For Chadwick, the growing role of companies such as Lenovo, Hisense and Mengniu suggests China has achieved at least part of that objective. “China, arguably, through its commercial activities, has become a leading FIFA nation,” he said.
As billions of viewers tune in to view matches across North America over the coming weeks, China’s absence from the competition may be most visible on the field. Off it, however, its brands have secured a prominent place in the global game, the South China Morning Post reports.
